Smoking something other than Cigars

[kit_luce]

Yeah I went vert for a couple reasons...can't leave this monster outside, so the vert took up a smaller footprint. Also, the 7 is so damned big, you can really stuff it full. I don't know how well a horizontal would do...I would assume one side would be hotter than the other, whereas with the vert I don't have to worry about that.

How much can you fit in that 7? Like let's say how many whole chickens or rack of ribs?

 

[Pennywise827]

Well its over 2k cubic inches of space...so All of them? I've done 4 racks of ribs on one rack, I think there is 7 or 8 racks...I did 4 briskets (80lbs) and had room for 2 more easily.

 

[kit_luce]

Oh good hell lol, maybe the 5 is all I need then lol. Thanks for the info. Sorry for the hijack @WatchmanUSA how did your first cook go?

 

[unfairtoast]

I picked up the Yoder 480 from a local dealer. I kind of wanted to buy a product mask in the USA and from someone local. The other local choice that is USA made was Pits & Spitts.
https://www.yodersmokers.com/ys480-pellet-grill.html

So I did lots of research before I bought mine. I still wish I would have held out for the best one, but alas I found a steal and grabbed it. The problem with the Traegers are that since they have been outsourced to China for their steel, its much thinner and they are selling on their reputation (think Ghurka, and Kimber, and Bad Dragon) staking that people will still pay for less of a warranty and an inferior product.

My requirements were as follows:
Insulated for heat retention....less fuel means longer cooks cost less money.
Big Hopper...wanted to make sure it held at least a full bag of pellets (mine holds 60lbs of pellets) so I could do overnight cooks without refueling.
Multiple Temp sensors....I wanted to have one that I could cook multiple types and amounts of meat at the same time....this I missed on...I don't trust their temp probes, and ended up just using my Igrill2.
Warranty....wanted at least a 3 year warranty because I smoke at least 3x a week from March to November. Im hard on a grill.

I ended up with the Copperhead 7 from Pit Boss. It had a smoke only feature (130-45Deg with mountains of rolling smoke) that let me put like a ham or something in there overnight and pull out a ready to eat masterpiece that will have you kicking my door down to try. It also works for smoking trout without drying them out. Its temp is too high for cold smoking cheeses, but I have a tube for that. It has temp ranges from 150-400 deg so you can also use it to grill some chicken etc. in a hurry without firing up the grill.

It wasn't my first choice, but it was under a grand ($600 bucks? I paid 550) and it hit all my buttons.

Green Mountains are also excellent grills.

The best I found in my research is the REC TEC 1000. it costs a grand, but its a bad mofo.

Thanks. Now I've spent the last two days researching these. Mrs.Toast has not been amused....

 

[WatchmanUSA]

Thanks. Now I've spent the last two days researching these. Mrs.Toast has not been amused....

Good luck. My wife isn’t jumping for joy but she has realized an upside that every meal I cook is one she doesn’t. So she has accepted it. The thing I have done from the beginning is to never object to anything she wants to buy. In fact, often I suggest she get one with more features.

 

[WatchmanUSA]

A good forum, sort of like a Brothers of the BBQ, is - https://www.bbq-brethren.com/forum/
Lot of good info, recipes and advice.

 

[WatchmanUSA]

I just made a case/storage for my FireBoard temperature sensor kit.

 

[kit_luce]

I just made a case/storage for my FireBoard temperature sensor kit.
View attachment 127674 View attachment 127675

Nice!

 

[WatchmanUSA]

I’m going to do four racks of ribs and grill some chicken for Christmas Eve dinner. I put my rub recipe together yesterday. I think I’ll put them on cold smoke for a couple hours and then go to 225 until done. I need to select a cigar or two to smoke while smoking.

Then on Christmas Day, I’m smoking two large turkey breasts. I made my own brine recipe. I’ll brine them tomorrow night and get ‘em smoking by 6:30 Christmas morning. Low heat (150F) smoke for 2 hours and cook at 225 until the breasts get up to 165F.

I picked up a couple of A-maze-n Smoker Tube. A 6” tube (2 hours of smoke) and an adjustable 12” to 18” tube (4 to 6 hours of smoke). They don’t create much heat. You can use them to provide additional smoke or do cold smoking for cheese and fish.

 

[WatchmanUSA]

Ribs...

 

[WatchmanUSA]

The cooking, eating and cleaning is done. Here are a couple picks of my Christmas Day Smoke, two turkey breasts.